Staple making and driving machine



Feb. 6,' w23. m4454139 I C. E. WOODANIAN STAPLE lMAKING AND DRIVING MACHINE Filed Mar. 4, 1920 2 sheets-sheet l egizi/7gg.

STAPLE MAKING AND DRIVING MACHINE Filed Mar. '4, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 2 CLINTON is. woonANieN, or woacnsfren, Massachussets, assieme fro NVNNNADY Nine. cONPiiNN or eOsTON, ON eos'rON, Niissacncsn'rxrs, a CORPORATION or TIIASSACHUSETTS.

sfr/.irte manine .ann nniviNe trasmite.

Application filed Merch Il, 1920. Serial No. 363,173.

To @ZZ 1li/wm 'it may concer/1t Be it known that l, CLINTON B. fl/Toolin- MAN, a citizen of the United' States, anda resident oi l/Vorcester, in the county o'f lWorcester and State of l/lassarhusetts, have invented an improvement in Staple lila-king and Driving Machines, ci which the vEollowing description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a speciiication, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

rlhis invention relates to machines for malring and drivingstaples, and is more especially concerned with a machine ot the class in which a plain, flat strip of sheet t metal having substantially straight edges'is made into staples, which are then driven into sheets of paper, cloth, or other material. The patent to Lea, No. 1,214,930, issued February 6, 1917, discloses an illustrat machine of this class, to which my invention applicable.

In the machine of the patent, a metallic ribbon, or tape, is drawn from a roll or coil, and is tedto cutting, bending and driving instrumentalities, which 'cut a vpiece ot the tape'.r bend it into the ioii'n ci a staple, and drive the latter. The dtli olE the staple is whatever distance the leed mechanism hanpens to feed the strip, and this distance .in practice is found to vary from time to time, thus producing staples ot varying width.

M i invent-ion aims to im aart a uniform feeding movement to the strip, thereby ensuring the production ot staples ot uniform width. y

In the machine ot' the patei't convenience is experienced in pl roll of tape onto the machine; a ing the 'tape through the iieedine` to the cutting, bendi and dri in,A n'ientalities, 'This inconvenience tape on the machine, and partly to the method of' removingr the old, reuiffuning piece of tape from the Jfeeding mechanisni,

oi` ta Je and b the )rovision of means to facilitate the removal ot the old 'tape trom the feeding mechanism, and its replacement the-new tape,

i3. through which the tree end of partly to the means of mounting the roll c? My invention will be best understood by reference to'the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one illustrative embodiment thereof, while itsscope will bemore particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' In the drawings:

1 l is a plan ofa staple-making and driving machine exemplifying 'my invention;

.F ig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

F 4 is a sectional view on line Ll-4 of F ig. l;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view `on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig, 6 is a sectional View scale on line 6 6 of Fig. l;

Fig. Z' a detail elevation oil a portion of the cutting and bending mechanism, illustrating the operation of bending the prongs; and

on an enlarged lec-ted 'for eXem Oliiication l liavesliown a staple-making and `driving machine comprising a. mounting l0 for the supply oit sheet material `which is herein in the form oi' a strip i2 of suitable metal, which may be conveniently supplied to the machine in the forni of a'roll or coil le.. The support may be, and preferably is, in the torni of a casing, comprising a body i6 oil:` generally cylindrical form., provided with a slot or aperture the strip may be drawn. The body 1 6 is herein provided with a rientra-l hub or boss 20, to which is secured a cover-plate by suitable means, herein a screw 9A, carried by the cover-plate and threafiled into said boss. By simply rotating the cover-plate in the proper direction, it may be removed tofperiuitv the reneiral of the roll lo'f'nietallic tape when the same has become exhausted. l

rlfhe strip l2, whichemerges trointheaperture i8, leads toward the. forward end of the machine, wbe'reitpassesover a suitable guide and fixed cutter 26 (see Fig. 4), the latter being preferably rounded or beveled, as at 28, to facilitate the introduction of the tape between said guide and an upper guide 30; The latter is herein provided with a shallow groove presenting lateral shoulders 32 to provide the necessary guidance for the strip, and to prevent the saine from shifting laterally, while the upper and lower guides 30 and 26 hold the strip against vertical displacement. It should here be observed that the lower guide and cutter 26 has its cutting edge 34: positioned obliquely across the path in which the strip is fed. As will appear later, this is of importance in deter* mining the shape of the prongs of the staple.

A plate 36 extending obliquely across the path of the strip 12 presents a stop 38,which limits the forward motion of the strip under the influence of the feeding mechanism now to be described;`

The strip l2 may be fed intermittently by suitable means, such as a lever `at() (see Figs. 3 and t) providedwith a slot 4t2, through which the strip is led from the source of supply- Suitable means are provided whereby the feedlever is given a positive, backward, non-feeding movement (during -wh-.ch

it travels freely along the strip, and no feeding of the latter takes place), and a iionpositive, spring-actuated forward motion.

`Suitable provisionris made, so that if it were not for the presence ofthe stop, the lever would move the strip a distance greater than the distance from the stop 3S to the cutting plane represented by the cutting edge 34 of the stationary guide and cutter 26. The purpose of this is toeiiable the strip to be brought up against the stop and urged thereagainst by resilient pressure during a continued receding motion of means which .imparts the positive non-feeding movement to the feed lever, the result being that accuracy of width of the staples is assured.

To. this end, the lever is herein provided withv frictional clutching means. comprising feed gripper, or dog, elfi, in the form of a vflat spring secured to the lever. as by a `screw 46, and having its lower extremity arranged to engage the upper surface of the strip ,12, while the bottoni. of the slot d2 engages the lower surface of the strip. n such manner that when the lever travels rear wardly, the spring simply yields and allows the lever to move without occasioning movement of the strip. y The latter is at this moment positively locked against rearward movement by reasoiiof the engagement of the previously formed prongs which engage theffront face 34. of the 'lower guide and` cutter 26. When the lever is moved in a. forward direction, the spring grips the strip against the bottom ofthe slot, and the strip is carried forward' until itsforward end bringsup against the'stop 38.

The feed lever may bc actuated by suit able means, herein a rocking cam Al-S cooperating with a suitably shaped camelike surfacl 50 on the `feed lever. During the bending ofthe staple legs, as liereinbefoi'e described., the cam aimparts van idle backward stroke to the feed lever l0 to some vsuch position as that illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4t. Forward. movement of the feed lever takes place under the influence of a` suitable spring 52,' such movement being normally limited by the forward end of the strip bringing up against the stop 38. 1When this takes place, the cam i8 recedes from the cani surface 50, leaving a gap therebetween, as illustrated in Figs. 3vr and Il, this `gap being sufficient to permit a much greater travel of the lever when the feed-dog dis. engaged from the strip, as for example, when a new strip is to be insertedin the machine. If the feed-dog is thus disengaged, the feed-lever willcontinue to move forward under the influence of the spring until finally its movement is limited by a stop pin 54 carried by the lever bringing up against an abutment This feed mechanism ensures uniformity in the width of the staples,-a result which is practically impossible where vit is attempted to adjust the stroke of the feed lever to produce a staple of the desired width..v f

l will now describe the cutting, bending 'and driving mechanism, whereby the staple is formed from tliemetallc strip and driven.

-Tlie strip is first partially severed by 'two outer cuttersl 58 and 58 along the lines i edge 351. of the lower guideand cutter 26, and in a plane oblique to the strip. As these cutters descend and cut the edges of the metallic strip to forni sharp pointed prongs, the latter arebent in a downward direction, this being conveniently accomplished by providing the lower ends of the cutters. 58 and 58 with rounded or beveled inner corners (i0 a-iidv60", substantially at right angles to the oblique plane of the cutting edges before referred to, and imparting to Vsaid cutters :i strolre considerably in` excess of that required simply to slit the meta-l. ln fact, the stroke of the cutters as herein shown practicall?.- equal tothe length the prongsl and lil which they form. lt shot d here be observed thatA no forming block is required in the space between. the prongs tliusfornied. it being found in practice that the metal can be slit and bent to form a. practically rightangle corner by the employment of the cutters, as shown.

The prongs having been formed, the neat step is to sever the otherwise completed staple from the strip, and drive the prongs of the staple through the sheet material, after which the prongsfare clinched. To this end, I have herein provided a central maar cutter 62, having its cuttingedge disposed in thc oblique plane betore referred to, which cutter comes into action atter the cutters 58 and 58 have completed the'ir work. The cutter (32 descends and coinpletely severs the strip along the line. rtf-A', and practically simultaneously therewith drives the prongs B B through the desired sheet material or other article herein represented by (l, the prongs heine-clinched by an appropriate anvil 64 provided with a depression 66 suitably :torined to cause the extremities ot the prongs to he lient toward each other and clinched, as illustrated in Fig. 6. It is found in practice that the rn f st satisfactory action oil the cutter 62 secured by providing its lower end with a concave formation, as at 68, which gives a shearing action. lt should now he evident that the cutter 62 constitutes also a driving plungj.; r, Whose arrangement. with respect to the eutters 58 and 58 is such that, by their successive and continuous action in one direc-- tion, the staple is completelyv termed and driven.

ln order to produce a staple ot the desired Width, While still having cutters of the requisite degree ot strength, l have herein provided the cutter 62 with a 7ertical groove l0 (best shown in F et and 7), which has sutlicient depth (in a horizontal direction from iront back) to receive the stop 38, which liniits the forward movement of the strip under the influence of the feeding mechanism. `rllhis construction enahles me to produce a staple just as narrow as desired, While still providing a sutlicient thickness ot' the cutters to enahle them to perform their work Without danger of breakg;

As betore stated, the cutters are arranged in a plane oblique to the edges ot the strip l2, so that the prongs B and B are'tormed with angular or sharp points to 'facilitate their entrance into the material through which they lare to he driven, and it should here he observed that, in order to malte the prongs B and B of equal length when they are cut ohliquely, the cutters 58 and 58 should he so placed that. the line A alone` which the cutter 58 acts much longer than the line fl-i along which the cutter 5&3 acts. In other words, the effect-ive length of the cutting edge one cutter.. when measured from the adjacent edn'e ot the strip to the bending edge oii such cutter. is greater than the effective length ot the cutting;- edge of the second cutter measured from thev other edgre ot the strip to the bending' edge ot such cutter, though the cuttersl may be and are herein actually of the saine Width. In order to illustrate this matter more clearly, l have shown in Fig. dotted lines representing the shape of the `forward end ot' the strip 12 prior to the commencement of ,ese

the Vformation ot the staple. ll should here be noted that the dotted line l) .is sulistantially equal in length to the lino A', and that the dotted line D substant'ally 4equal to the line A. 'By thus proportioningl the slit alonkrr the lines and llt, the prongs lll and B in the completed staple are suhstantially equal. in length.

The c escribed cutters may be actuated by any suitable mechanism, whereloy they are operated in delinitely timed relation, 'tor sample a pai.: olf cams and 72.. which actuate the cutters 5S and tl, res]icctivel;Y and a cani Til, which actuates the cutter GQ on the downward stroke. The cam 4S. which produces the idle backward strolre oli thc feed lever l0, is so placed with reterence to the cams "f2 and T2 which produce the downward movement oit the cuttingand bendingl plungers 58 and 58, and with reiference to .the cani Til, which produc/:s the downward movement ot the tina] severing' and driving plunger G2, that the cani Lith? engage-stile i'eed lever Lit-0 and produces the idle rearward inoveinent oit the latter durthe hending' oi the staple legs by the plungers 58 and 58, as will he evident troni an inspection ot the relative location of the cams in Figs. il and if. This is ot iinportance. as will be evident when it is rousidered that it rerpiirrs but one cycle et ou eration of the machine to toed the strip, bend the prongs, and sever and drive the stziple. il ot the plungers may lic litted by suitable resilient meansA herein a single spring YG, which engages the under side ot lugs and T8 ou the plungreis 5S and and a .lug d() on the'plungrer tt?, and which sprino has its terminal portions scoured to a suit Ylilo support, herein a trame F52 horrn a tte r d escri bed.

Asherein shown, the cams just described are secured to a rocking cani shaft 554i-, to which is also secured a hand lever SG having a suitablelnob S8. which may be struf'lv or pressed in the downward direction by the palm oi the hund. is herein shown. this lever is formed integral with the cani 74, and is moreover provided with an integral stop to liniit its` upward s new iii niotion. and a sunilar st i to limit its` downward svfinL iur uioticu. .l he stop 9U may :i si lc abutment. herein the rear Vtace ol the cutter (3Q. ivlulr the stop 92 encacs the iront Vl'aro ol the nlate '3f'- Ulm The latter also constitutes a iucaus for rcniorably holding the cutters in place. and to that `end is pertoratod to .receive a pair ot screws (Ll and ill. bj; which it is secured to the 'traine now to he described,

.is a crnivenient means vfor supporting' the feeding` mechanism, and the cutting' and driving mechanism. l hevprovided the frame'SZ hereinbetore referred to. This trame is bi't cated, as clearlv shown in ico Figs. 1 and 5, and between its sides, the.

ilioed lover l0 is tulcrumed on a pivot 9,6. The cutter actuating cams are also disposed between'the sides of the trame S2, and the latter is provided with sutiable bearings tor the cam-shalt dit. As a means for normally holdingthe actuating loyer 86 in its elevated position and returning it to such position alter it has pertormed its worlr, l. may employ a spring ot any suitable arrangement, such as a spring 98 which is made double, its two tree ends resting against bosses 100 on opposite sides oit the feed lever 40, and extending` thence in an upward and forward direction part way around the hubs ot the cams. and tlrznce to the stop 92, the latter being provided with a notch 102 to rece' the intermediate portion ot the wire ot which the spring is formed. Freterably, to the spring increased resiliency and to prolong its lite, the two free ends are bent to form' coils 104tintermediate the points of engagement ojt the spring` with the bosses el? the 'toed lever on the one hand and the bosses ot the cams on the other.

The frame 82 is herein mounted on a suit-- able base plate 106, to which it is connected by a pivot 108, whereby it is permitted to roclr, and the operator is enabled to insert the sheet material upon the air-.fil by simply grasping the actuating lever and litting the lat-ter, which in `turn swings the trame 82 in an upward direction to provide the necessary space beneath the cutters and the associated parts.l alter which the 'trame may be released and allowed to i.escend upon the surface of the material. dfb en the latter is appropriately positioueth the operator, then presses or strikes in. a downward direction. on the knob 88, and thus. byv a single continuous downward motion, rarulcs the staple to be completely termed, severed from the strip, and applied. to the material.

The base plate 106 also provides `a convenient support :For the mounting 10 tor the roll of the tape. To enable the mounting- 10 to he removed iu u rearward direction, that is to say in a direction oilposite to tho direetion of feeding movement ot the strip, l hare herein provided the u'rountina and the hase plate, one with a soclret and the other with a tongue received therein. and separable one .from the other by movement ol the n'iounting in the rearward direction. ln the present example, the base plate is provided with a soclret comprising two pairs ot tongues 110, best .shown in Fig. 5, struck lip from the base plate and overlying a. tongue 1.12. herein consisting ot a strip ot sheet metal haring an o'tlset portion suitably secured to the mounting 10. by rivet 114 Remo #al oit the mounting 10 is accomplished by simply withdrawing the latter in a rearward direction (toward the right, lig. 2),

iaaaaee and it may be replaced by a, reifersal of this operation. l

In order t0 facilitate the removal ofthe old strip and the introduction ot a new one, l have herein provided manually-operable means tor releasing the feed. dog ld .trom the strip, said means :in the present example comprising a lever 116 (see Fig. Ll) received in a Vertical slot 11S inthe lever 4G, and tulcrumed on. a pivot 120 passing through both leve's.` The forward end ot the lever 116 engages the rear tace of the feed dog t', while the handle et the lever projects rearw rdly to a point where it is conyeniently accessible for operation. By simply depressing the handle ot theleyer 116, the vt'eed dog is sprung forward, and its grip-upon the strip 12 is released, thereby allowing the latter to be withdrawn in a rearward direction. ln introducing the new strip, the teed dog may be similarly sprung forward to facilitate the passage ot the strip on its way to the cutting, bending and driing instrumentalities.

Having thus described one embodiment ot' my invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what l'claim and desire by Letters tatent to secure is:

1. ln a machine 'tor handling strip ma terial, the combination of a mounting for a coil olt the mznterial.v means for feeding the material 'from the coil, a.' base for said nd said feedingmeans, and means providing' tor the attachment ol said mounting to and its detachment trom said base by movement of said mounting in the same general direction as the path olf. the feeding movement o1 the material. Y

2. ln a machine ttor handling strip material the combination et a mounting tor a coil oit the material, means ttor 'feeding the material from the coil, a base for said mounting and said feeding means, and means providing tor the attachment of said mounting to and its detachment from said base by movement ot said mounting in a direction generally parallel with the path ot the feeding' movement oit the material.

ln a machine for handling strip material, the combination. oft a mounting for a coil et' the material, mea-ns -for feeding the material from the coil, means for releas ing the n'uiterialfrom said feeding means thereby to allow the material to bo withdrawn in a direction opposite to the( direc tion ol teed, a base tor said mounting and said Jfeeding means, and means providing tor the detachment et said mounting 'from said base in the firstanentioned direction.

4l. ln a machine for handling strip material. the combination otra mounting tor the coil ot material, means 'for feeding the mate l rial from the coil, means for releasing the material from said feeding means thereby to allow the material to loe wlthdrawn 1n a direction opposite to the direction of feed, and a base for said mounting and feeding means. said base and said mounting being provided. one With a guide and the other with a slide guided therein in the same general direction as the path of feed.

5. ln a machine for handling strip nia` terial, the combination of a mounting for the coil of material, means for feeding the material from the coil, means for releasing the material from said feeding means there' by to allow the material to be Withdrawn in a direction opposite to the direction of feed, and a base for said mounting and feeding means, said base and said mounting being provided, one With a socket and the other with a part received in said socket and detachable therefrom in a direction generally opposite to the direction of the feed.

6. ln a machine for handling strip inaterial, the combination of a mounting for the coil of material, ineansfor feeding the material from the coil, means for releasing the material from said feeding means thereby to allow the material to be Withdrawn in a direction opposite to the direction of feed, and a base for said mounting and feeding means, said base being provided with a socket and said mounting being provided with a tongue received in said. socket and removable therefrom in a direction generally opposite to the direction of said feed.

7. In a machine for handling strip material, the combination of mechanism for imparting a step by step movement to the strip by alternately gripping and releasing the strip, said mechanism comprising a reciprocating` element having an aperture to pass the strip, a resiliently pressed ineniber on the face of said element having a center of movement away from the saine remote from the aperture and an end presented ad jacent the aperture and a cani lever pivoted tothe element and having a portion to engage said member to release the gripping engagement thereof with the strip.

8. In combination with a framework coniprising lateral arms 82, means for feeding a strip forward between said arms comprising an intermittent grip device housed between them and including a pair of cooperating gripping members and a lever projecting from said arms for ready manual operation feeding movement to the strip. a

new

to separate said .iembers and release thein from the strip.

9. ln a machine for feeding and cutting strip material, the combination of feeding strip material, the combination of feeding means including a reciprocating gripper which alternately grips and releases the material to impart a step-by-step longitudinal feeding movement to the strip, a stop against which the forward end of the strip is brought at each feeding step, and cutting means interposed between said feeding means and said stop and adapted to cut successive pieces from said strip at each advance, said feeding means having capacity for resilient feeding movement greater than the distance from said stop to the cutting plane, and having provision to urge said strip with spring pressure against said stop. il. ln a machine for feeding and cuttingstrip material, the combination of feeding means including a reciprocating gripper which alternatelg,7 grips and releases the material to impart a step-bystep lonipgitudinal stop against which the forward end of the strip is brought at each feeding step, cutting ineens interposed between said feeding means and said stop and adapted to cut sucl cessive pieces from said strip at each advance, said feeding izieans having' capacity for resilient feeding movement greater than the distance from said stop tothe cutting plane, and a final limiting stop 'to limit the movement of said feeding means when the latter is freed from the strip.

ln testimony whereof` l' have signed my naine to this specification.

CLNTON B. VVOODAMAN. 

